Okay, I'm sorry, I'm so full of Sherlock love that I feel like I'm going to burst, so I'm posting this freshly typed review right now and will proofread (and correct, if necessary [and in this case also cringe]) and put it in a shape that's easier to read after I've slept. Forgive me, if there should be any sentences left hanging - happens sometimes. And it was late! It was already late when I started watching the ep and I did notice I had problems typing. Again, I apologize. Please read anyway? I need to share the squee!


Now even longererer! Had to add some thoughts.


Oh god, the excitement from which I'm suffering right now, ARGH! Nice previously, it's only adding to the excitement. Make it stop, OMG, OMG! Breathe, Fueschy, breeeeathe. I CAN'T! I keep pausing! I'm afraid of the possibility of the resolution to the cliffhanger ruining the cliffhanger. Although I did have an awful lot of time with the cliffhanger and what made it great was also that I wanted to know what happens next. Okay...
AHAHAHA XD! Is that Jim's phone? It must be someone's phone. Perfect song, by the way. I love Jim's eyeroll. God, I love how they're totally pausing here to let Jim take that call.
Ha, I like that! I really like that, they only survived because Jim suddenly had something better to do.

What, was that Irene? Don't tell me it was Irene who just called Jim.
Yes, it is. So far I'm not impressed.

Oh, partly new opening credits. I had ondered if they would be.
When I saw the word "blogger" I went a bit back and paused there to find out what else it says. OMG, looks like they'll make Sherlock and John famous this season.

Hey, that's an old blog post John types there, I swear I've read it.

My god, the living room looks so small from that angle. It probably is that small and only looked bigger because that's what places on screens do.
The Geek Interpreter! Awesome, but now I'm sad it won't be a future episode title.
Speckles? Don't tell me they're giving up on another awesome punny episode title. ... Yes, they did, aww. But we've just witnessed Sherlock eating, so I can forgive Moffat!
Ahahaha, the little kids, Sherlock telling them how it really is. Oh my god, I swear it's like that one fic I once read! XD

Yay, a German city gets a mention, *German fan is happy*. Also, hello, Lestrade! I've missed you.

"No, no, no, don't mention the unsolved ones!" Aw, Sherlock. With goggles, hee. And I'm suspecting that, even though they changed the A Scandal in Bohemia a bit, the TV version is still short. And I'm okay with that, because I'm still worried that they've ruined Irene. "People want to know you're human." Yes, as long as that doesn't involve ruining his character. I can't stop worrying, dammit.

OH MY GOD, THE HAT, AHAHAHAHA! I didn't believe it when I saw it in the opening sequence's article, but now I can see that it's not just some jokey you-don't-get-to-see-this-part-of-the-prop-anyway picture. Hat-man and Robin. XD
Reading props is fun: "Links between Moriarty and Al-Qaeda have yet to be ruled out".
Ha, Sherlock wore that hat once, but I bet from then on everyone will think of him with that hat, hehehe.

Mrs. Hudson! Cleaning out the fridge!

"And as far as possible, try not to punch him."

Is that a bedsheet that Sherlock's wearing like a toga or something? XD
"It's hardly my fault you weren't listening." - "You just carry on talking when I'm away?" Heh, reminds me of the thing with the pen (god, that was some awesome catching without looking).
Ahaha, Sherlock's talking about that guy while he's there.

Ooh, are these guys MI5 or something? If so, I'll be in need of some Sherlock/Spooks crossover fics after his ep. Actually, doesn't matter, I'd love some Sherlock/Spooks either way.
Aw, look at that cute redhead who tells John about the helicopter.

Ooh, Buckingham Palace?
Hahaha, Sherlock refused to get dressed. But Sherlock, you're denying us the nice view of you in a suit!
Okay, it's a good thing he hasn't dressed yet - there's laughing! ♥
Mycroft! And more laughing, about poor Mycroft. "Just once can you to behave like grown ups?" Nooo, I like it when they're not grown ups. This grown up thing is overrated anyway.
Ahaha, Mycroft steps on Sherlock's sheet. When Mycroft tells Sherlock "Now, for god's sake, put your clothes on!" I can understand how hard it must be to be Sherlock's older brother.

Hahaha, Sherlock stole an ashtray from Buckingham Place.

"Punch me in the face." - "Punch you?" - "Yes, punch me in the face, didn't you hear me?" - "I always hear 'punch me in the face' when you're speaking, but it's usually subtext." Oh my god, how is this episode so neverendingly hilarious? XD
And then with the actually punching. My god, there's the traditional Sherlock-gets-choked moment! ♥

Oh, so that's Sherlock's disguise! Hehehe.

So much nakedness in this episode.
"I've missed something, haven't I?" XD
Aw, poor Sherlock can't make any deductions about naked Irene. I just wish I'd never heard of Twilight, because guess what this makes me think of >_<. But the good thing about this is that we know a bit more about John. Electric, not blade is invaluable info for some writers, I bet.
Okay, I think Irene is okay so far.
Yes, they're doing the fire thing! I hoped so when Sherlock took the matches from that guy in Buckingham Palace.
Sherlock, John & Irene vs. the Americans - what a trio!
"We should call the police." says John and Sherlock does so by firing in the air. I see Sherlock didn't get any gun safety lessons after The Pool Incident (or he didn't listen).
Oh, now Sherlock looks more pleased with the idea of getting knighted. Well, the last time he talked about it was obviously a lie.
Irene pwns Sherlock and now he knows what the body from the first episode must have felt like. But oh no, Irene, don't go with the coat! You can't abduct the precious coat!

Hee, periodic system on Sherlock's wall.
The coat! She was there!

Oh my god, how Mrs. Hudson's talking to Mycroft! And the reaction to Mycroft's "shut up"! ♥
I bet that Twitter account totally exists.
Sherlock disappearing behind the paper, hehe.
YES! Sherlock plays the violin and it's something that's not horrible screeching! That was on my S2 wishlist!

Time flies and it's Christmas! This episode is too good to me. Sherlock plays a Christmas song on the violin ♥! 221B Christmas decoration!
Aw, no more Sarah. But I liked Sarah, she was great! That's the first time this episode made me sad. My god, I'm even almost crying. I'm having too much feelings right now!
Molly! At the 221B Christmas party! And she's wearing a giftbow in her hair! Totally something I would do, hee. "Holy Mary" says John when he sees Molly's dress. I'm hoping it's a sign that she's Mary. On the other hand that would be sad, since... you know. OMG, Lestrade's look when he sees Molly in her dress. I wonder if maybe this could result in Lestrade/Molly - since this episode seems to do a lot of things fans also thought of.
Ha, people like the hat. I KNEW IT! XD
Okay, so no Lestrade/Molly. Aw, more Lestrade info. Let's see if I remember to use my "I think I read a fanfic like that once" icon when I post this XD. Oh, spoke too soon. That's what happens when you pause all the time to write a review. Dammit, Mrs. Lestrade! Oh well, maybe there will be Molly/Lestrade.
Dammit, I can't understand what Molly says she heard about Harry. But yay, Harry got her act together!
Sherlock deduces Molly's got a new boyfriend and is serious about him. I was about to be happy, but then I remembered she still seems interested in Sherlock. Oh god, if that gift turns out to be for Sherlock. What would really make me squee is if it was for Jim. Although, someone at the party would be funny too. Obviously something's getting set up here. Ooh, we're getting reaction faces from John. Could it be? ... Aw, just when I was getting excited for John/Molly Sherlock reads the card and of course it's for Sherlock. Excuse me, I need to resume watching to find out how Sherlock reacts.
OMG, Molly reacts! Checks another thing from my season 2 wishlist \o/! And Sherlock apologizes! You guys, you know what this is? IT'S CHRISTMAS! The great thing about the Irene Adler story being so short is that there's so much time for character stuff! Moffat, sir, I apologize for not believing in you!
Aw, Molly even gets a kiss on the cheek.
Heh, John's been counting Irene's texts.

A phone present again, heh.
Mycroft's surprised by the call from Sherlock, so there are no Christmas dinners? Does this mean Mummy is dead?
I'm confused, why does Sherlock think Irene will be found dead? He wouldn't kill her, so what makes him so sure? OH! It's Irene's phone! But she wouldn't have given it away, would she? Although, maybe to fake her death?

Oh no, Barts. They wouldn't kill her, would they? And not in the middle of the episode.
Ha, her face isn't recognizable! These kind of dead bodies are never the dead bodies you're looking for. And poor Molly is left to wonder how Sherlock recognized Irene from not her face. Maybe that will cure Molly's crush.
Meh, smoking Sherlock.

Aw, no way, Mycroft and John conspiring to make sure Sherlock's okay. ♥
But John has plans. I'm wondering if John's girlfriends all left him because he's constantly on Sherlock-watching duty.
Sock index!

More violin playing! Composing even!

Aw, that's not Anthea! Not not-Anthea, I should say, to clarify. On the other hand, had it been Anthea we would have known right away that she was sent by Mycroft.
Oh, Battersea? Reminds me of how Paul McGuigan (the director) tweeted and asked for recognizable places to have a body found.
Oh! Not Mycroft! Interesting. Could it be Irene? But what would be her reason?
"He will outlive god trying to have the last word." XD
Irene is gay? I like that.
Oh, look listen who's there.

Oh, so that's what filming Sherlock on the rolling thing was for. Hm... now that he knows what it's like to think someone you care about died and then that person comes back, do you think he would do that to John?

Oh no, Mrs. Hudson? Ooh, look at Sherlock's face! He's gonna kick some ass!
...And so he does. Look how sweet he is too Mrs. Hudson. Can I hug them, please?
"Crime in progress, please disturb." Heh.

Ooh, so that's Mrs. Hudson's kitchen.
OMG, the guy really fell out of the window! Now I'm shocked. Bad Sherlock! And I'm one tiny bit amused.
"Oh... that was right on my bins." And a bit more amused now. XD
Sherlock just steals out of someone else's fridge and Moffat's trying to tell me he's not like the Doctor? Ha! Also, he eats again. Eating is good.
...Oh, sneaky Mrs. Hudson XD (and look which writer is stealing ideas from himself). And then Sherlock sort of hugs her, awwww. And John seems to see that Sherlock is not the heartless bastard he seems to be most of the time.

It's the new year and Sherlock plays that new year's song on the violin. So much violin goodness, I almost can't bear it!

What does Sherlock smell? Has Irene been there? Aw, she sleeps in his bad, that reminds me of a fairy tale, haha. Which would make Sherlock a dwarf. XD

Oh, Sherlock and Irene tricking each other with the phone's passcode, I love it. And again John's trying to get into the conversation too and manages to be uncharacteristically awkward, "if you're looking for baby names". XD
Ooh, 007? Is that when John gets to help, because Sherlock can't find out what 007 is about? I remember Mycroft mentioning a word containing the part "bond", ooh.

Oh, it's Jimmy. I forgot that she had to do with him. But I hope it's alright, she's probably getting blackmailed by him. I want her to not be a baddie.

Oh, Jim's text went to Mycroft. Poor, shocked Mycroft. My god, it's like he doesn't ever stop being shocked. This must be really bad.

Sherlock really doesn't notice when John leaves. Oh Sherlock, sometimes not even you observe.
I... I just... I can't... confused feelings. It was getting into shippy territory and between the "OH FUCK, NO!" was a little "but why not".

I probably shouldn't be awake at 4:50 am (I have to, though, because I couldn't wait for this episode and now that I've started it I can't stop), but my brain interpreted the car's "GFII KOX" plate as "go fuck 2 cocks". It's okay, I can almost go to bed and give my poor brain some rest - only 15 more minutes to watch (will probably take 1 hour - I've started this ep around 1am).

Ooh, nicely solved, Mycroft.
Ooh, and we had glimpses of this case before, nice!
"Late, in every sense of the word." Heh.
Have I mentioned how happy it makes me that we get more of Mycroft and his job?

"I AM SHER-LOCKED" Oh, this is good! I think that's what fans of the show will say about themselves from now on.

Ooh, look, it's Speedy's from the inside!
Mycroft tells John that Irene is dead, but I'm convinced that's just Mycroft's backup plan in case Sherlock finds out John is lying. Also, we need to get a scene of Irene in disguise walking past Sherlock.

THEY DID NOT :O! ... THEY DID NOT :oD!


OH MY GOD, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT THIS EPISODE AND HOW GOOD IT TURNED OUT IN THE END. I mean, even if I hadn't feared I won't like the episode, I never would have expected it to be that good! I think I'll have to cry some happy tears later.


ETA: I felt the need to add some thoughts (because I just can't stand the idea of leaving this review incomplete):

Not that this one is incredibly important, but I just want to mention: I do love how, when he takes the call, Jim is mouthing "sorry" to Sherlock. He's a psycho, but he has good manners. XD
Speaking of psycho!Jim: before this episode I only knew that he was scary, but I didn't feel it. But now I take him seriously as a villain. When he says "or I will skin you" it just doesn't feel like an empty threat.
You know what I like? This time they made the upper floor of the pool dark. Makes much more sense. In The Great Game it was comparatively bright and snipers should have been visible.
And 2x01 has answered the question I've had after 1x03: Will they stick to the Rule of Pool? No, they didn't, no one ended up in the water.

While John really is typing faster than in 1x03, it's still not as fast as the on-screen text is making it look.

I like that guy who believes his aunt's ash isn't his aunt's ash. I mean, his case does sound weird, but he was totally right!

And John made the mistake to insult Sherlock's website again (even though he was right).
I like how Sherlock later corrects John on the number of types of tobacco ash. XD

Sherlock has ratings of how interesting a case is, hehe.

"I take the precaution of a good coat and a short friend."

"I'll be mother." says Mycroft and I don't get what he means, but it gives Sherlock the chance to say "And there is our whole childhood in a nutshell". Now if this is true, what does it mean? That Mycroft treated Sherlock like a child instead of like a brother? And was this because their mom wasn't very motherly?
I like how John forgets to drink or put down his cup. Of course he'd like femslash.
I don't like the new look of the on-screen deduction text.

I think Irene looks a bit too thin (seriously, not a fan of ribs showing). Other than that I like her. Oh, wait, there's also that she is sexy. I mean, generally there's nothing wrong with sexy, but it just seems like these days there aren't many kick-ass women who aren't hotties. Bit of variety wouldn't hurt! But really, apart from that I like her. There's something about her voice/accent. And she's smart enough to compete with Sherlock. This episode made me sad when I realized there are only 2 people who are a real challenge for Sherlock. I love seeing him play games with other intelligent people. And Sherlock loves these games!

"Really hope you don't have a baby in here."
The idea that Sherlock's sense of proportion is so good that he really can know Irene's measurements just from looking at her (and he hasn't even looked very much) is a bit silly to me. Just like he'd correctly said how much weight Molly had gained. Okay, okay, if you want me to I'll suspend my disbelieve.

Ah, rewatching is great, you pick some things up that you've missed the first time. Like when Irene solves the boomerang case. She really did say that, Sherlock didn't just dream it.
Doped-up Sherlock is fun. Kind of like a doped-up cat (which is sorta scary at the same time - poor kitty). I like how the says "the woman woman".

As much as I enjoy seeing the reaction to Mycroft's "Oh, shut up, Mrs. Hudson!", I am sorry for Mycroft. "Family is all we have in the end" said Mrs. Hudson as if Mycroft doesn't know it. Must be really depressing to care about your brother, but he doesn't like you very much.

I'm a bit sad we didn't get to see how Molly dealt with finding out Jim had only used her and that he's a criminal mastermind.

So... I really wanted Irene to not be a baddie, because in A Scandal in Bohemia she wasn't one. Watching this episode a second time is really helpful figuring out if she's a baddie or not. And I'd say she's not. What I noticed, but didn't understand when I watched it the first time, was that Sherlock looked as if he understood something when Irene mentioned Moriarty. I think I understand now too. Irene had all this valuable information and maybe Moriarty just demanded it from her (Or she made a deal with the devil and asked Jim to make it happen that she can have her own game with Sherlock?). Yes, that was her on the phone with him in the beginning of the episode and he threatened her. So no wonder she does what he wants from her. Which means that Irene's betrayal wasn't voluntary.

Little Sherlock wanted to be a pirate, hee. That look on Mycroft's face, like he really wants that time back, makes me cry. Oh Mycroft, I wish I could hug you (as if that would make it alright).

We see all of Irene's texts to Sherlock on screen... you know what? That reminds me of a fic series I really like where Sherlock has a text-message friendship. With Anthea. It's called Short Message Service.

ETA #2!
Sherlock is lying in his bed and I read someone calling his blanket a sheet and then something made sense to me. Because if I just got out of bed, I'd wrap myself in the blanket, not a sheet. I failed to notice that this sheet actually is his blanket. I wonder how people can sleep with just a sheet.

>_< I just can't stop adding thoughts! ETA #3:
I just remembered that, when I used to think about the pool scene, one idea I liked a lot was Jim playing some fitting music. And in the end that's what sort of happened, ha! Okay, he didn't really play it himself, his cellphone went off. But with a very fitting song. XD